Texturized wall coverings made from various blends of inexpensive materaials are used in many parts of the world to beautify walls made of gypsum, plaster, paper, stucco, etc. These wall coverings vary greatly in compositions but generally contain primarily materials such as paper pulp, fibers, textile linters, cotton and polyeter threads, wood chips, grain shafts, and mica, as well as other minor components. The binder used to adhere these materials to the wall surface typically is carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), or similar modified, water-soluble cellulosic thickener. A problem with CMC is that it is not very water resistant. Therefore, water cannot be used in cleaning walls coated with a CMC-bound covering. Also, if the walls are accidentally wetted or if they are exposed over a prolonged period of time to hydrostatic pressure, the CMC-bound covering can peel or flake off. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that in such texturized wall coverings a blend of algin, tamarind gum, and, optionally, guar gum used as a replacement for or in addition to CMC produces a water-resistant wall covering. The adhesiveness of this covering is sufficient to allow coating surfaces such as vinyl wallpaper, metal, and glass.